Pharmacists Condemn Edo CPC Raids, Arbitrary Arrest, Sealing off of Pharmacies
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Edo State chapters, have condemned alleged unlawful raids, arbitrary arrests, seizure of pharmaceutical products and sealing off of pharmacy premises by the Edo State Consumer Protection Committee (CPC), describing the operations as regulatory overreach and a violation of the rule of law.
The two professional bodies also faulted the alleged imposition and collection of fines from pharmacy practitioners by the committee, insisting that any enforcement action involving pharmaceutical premises must be backed by clear statutory authority and conducted by competent and duly authorised personnel.
Chairman of PSN, Edo State, Dr. Chris Oisakede, flanked by the Chairman of ACPN, Dr. Nwachukwu Idemili, who addressed journalists in Benin City on Thursday, said pharmacists were not opposed to the fight against fake, counterfeit, adulterated, substandard or expired medicines but would not tolerate unlawful interference in the profession.
“We condemn any unlawful entry into pharmaceutical premises, intimidation of practitioners, arbitrary seizure of medicines, unjustified closure of pharmaceutical facilities or imposition of penalties by persons or bodies unable to demonstrate the statutory authority for those actions,” he said.
Oisakede maintained that pharmacy was a specialised healthcare profession governed by a defined statutory framework, stressing that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2022, vested professional regulatory responsibilities in the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN).
He argued that a general consumer-protection mandate did not automatically confer powers to inspect, regulate or shut down pharmacies.
“A general consumer-protection mandate does not, by itself, confer every specialised power required to regulate pharmacy practice, determine whether a premises meets professional standards, authenticate a medicine or close a pharmacy,” the PSN chairman said, challenging the CPC to make public its enabling law, terms of reference and specific legal provisions authorising the reported operations.
The pharmacists also raised concerns over the alleged use of a NAFDAC-related mobile application to determine the authenticity of pharmaceutical products, warning that a failed scan or an unrecognised product code could not, on its own, establish that a medicine was fake.
Oisakede called for the disclosure of the exact application and verification procedure used, alongside written confirmation from NAFDAC on the tool’s suitability.
“A mobile application may assist an investigation; it must not replace one. No pharmacy should be publicly branded as a seller of fake medicines solely on the basis of an unverified application result,” he stated.
He further alleged that some enforcement operations involved intimidation, monetary demands and impersonation of NAFDAC officials, insisting that such allegations required urgent investigation.
Among their demands, the PSN and ACPN called for the immediate cessation of unauthorised raids, inspections, seizures, closures and penalties against pharmacy premises; the release of practitioners allegedly unlawfully detained; and the refund of monies collected without a valid statutory basis or lawful court order.
They also urged Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Adams Oshiomhole, to urgently intervene and call the CPC leadership to order.
The organisations further demanded transparency over the committee’s legal powers and called for the reactivation of the Edo State Task Force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods, with effective collaboration among the PCN, NAFDAC, Ministry of Health and other relevant stakeholders.
Reacting to the allegations, Chairman of the Edo State Consumer Protection Committee, Mr. Osaro Culture Iyamu, dismissed the pharmacists’ position on the need for professional qualifications to identify fake, expired and adulterated products, arguing that requisite training and knowledge were sufficient.
“You don’t need any qualifications or professional qualifications to determine fake, expired and adulterated. All you need is requisite training and knowledge,” Iyamu said.
On the allegation that an outdated NAFDAC application was used, the CPC chairman challenged the pharmacists to publish the application they considered genuine.
“I would advise those who alleged, to publish the real one and if they can’t publish it within 24 hours, they should keep quiet,” he stated.
Iyamu said the committee was using the NAFDAC Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS), which he described as the authentic NAFDAC tracking application available on the agency’s website for detecting fake and expired products.
He also rejected the claim that the CPC lacked jurisdiction to enter pharmaceutical premises, describing those making the allegation as ignorant of the law and accusing them of aiding the circulation of fake and expired drugs and other products.
The PSN and ACPN, however, maintained that consumer protection must be pursued within the law and through competent regulatory institutions, adding that they remained committed to supporting Governor Okpebholo’s public health agenda while resisting what they described as regulatory overreach.